Veggie Pizza

I’ve never been a huge pizza fan, mainly because most pies have ALL THAT CHEESE, which totally doesn’t work for me. Since I’ve found alternative cheeses that don’t make me sick I’ve been working my way back to slice or two every now and then. 

My favorite local place is Pizza Luce - they have great pizzas and vegan cheese and meat options. They have a soy cheese that I’m not crazy about but they also have a cashew cheese (they call it rinota) that is to die for and their vegan crumbles are noteworthy. 

Somedays I'm not excited about cooking - since the pandemic, I sometimes feel like it is endless and I need a break. However, I decided to make my own pie tonight. I started with a quick yeast dough and then raided the refrigerator and freezer for ingredients. I used a pesto base and then added artichokes, olives, onions, peppers, mushrooms and topped it off with vegan cheese. I have to say it was damn delicious and the absence of leftovers says Dan felt the same way. 

Pizza dough - ingredients:

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup hot water (about 110–120 degrees)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

2.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Toppings:

Pesto - your favorite kind - I used 2 T vegan pesto that I made from our garden basil last fall

1 small onion - thinly sliced and sautéed in a small amount of oil to soften

1/2 yellow pepper

4 - thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms

8 - 10 cherry tomatoes - sliced

Marinated artichokes - sliced

10 - 12 Kalamata olives - cut in half 

vegan mozzarella 

Instructions:

Preheat oven and pizza stone in a 450-degree oven. 

Mix yeast, sugar, and hot water in a large bowl. Let stand 2-3 minutes until yeast begins to foam. Add olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir in 2 cups of the flour (you can use your hands for this OR you can use a sturdy spoon or spatula to bring the dough together).

Take a look at your dough. If it is still too wet, add the remaining flour 1/8 cup at a time and knead between each addition. The dough should pull itself into a ball as you stir but should still be slightly sticky to the touch. If the dough is too dry, add a splash of water or olive oil and stir or knead to work the liquid into the dough.

Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. (If you have more time, let it rest for up to an hour to develop more flavor).

While the dough is resting slice all vegetables and lightly saute onions, mushrooms, and peppers to soften. 

Turn dough onto a piece of floured parchment paper, dust the top with a sprinkle of flour, and roll or shape normally. Add toppings.

Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven and slide parchment paper (with pizza) onto the stone. Return to oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, cut, and eat.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! This weekend marks about a year since we have traveled on a plane and 2 years since we have vacationed in Mexico. Last year we struggled to get a decent airfare - accommodations were no problem but airfare - was totally out of line. So we decided to take a trip to Arizona, a state neither of us had ever traveled to, and visit my cousin and some good friends.

But this year is totally different - no vacations or vaccinations for that matter. I’m not yet 65 so I’m still waiting to get in line. If there was ever a time to be 65 now would be it. Like most everyone else I’m hanging out at home, reading, doing puzzles, ordering food from my favorite restaurant, and zooming with friends and family. 

I’m not a TikTok fan, although I understand there are many fun and interesting things on it - but not my thing. However, there has been this crazy pasta dish that has minimal ingredients and is super easy - so I had to try it right?

This was by far one of the easiest meals I’ve made in a while. You simply combine the sauce ingredients, bake it and then add cooked pasta. I used a chickpea pasta I found at Aldi - it added an earthy flavor to the dish which was very nice. 

Ingredients:

16 ounces cherry tomatoes

7-ounce block of feta cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

2 - 3 cloves garlic (minced)

Greek seasonings 

handful fresh basil

2 handfuls spinach 

large pinch red pepper flakes 

10 12 ounces pasta - any shape - I used @ 10 ounces of chickpea pasta 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to  450 degrees. Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish so that they are touching each other, add olive oil, and stir. Make space in the middle of the tomatoes and add the block of feta sprinkle with pepper and greek seasoning. Bake for 35  minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 - 3 minutes - just until the tomatoes are browning. 

While the tomato/feta is baking, cook pasta until al dente and drain. Remove the tomato mixture from the oven, add the garlic, 1/2 of the basil, red pepper flakes, and spinach stir into a sauce. Add pasta, stir to combine, and top with remaining basil. Enjoy!

Honestly, if you are tired of spending time chopping, sautéing, and cooking this is your next meal. It was great as a leftover and it’s in the rotation - at least until the next best thing comes along. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Superbowl Nachos and Super Simple Pear Hand Pies

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, the day we gather with friends and family to cheer on our favorite team - oh wait we’re in the time of COVID - no large gatherings but we can still connect with our pods and enjoy the show. And by show, I mean - commercials, half-time show, and if you are inclined, cheering for your favorite team.

I am not a football fan but every year I choose a team and cheer them on - this year the I’m rooting for Kansas City Chiefs. As I write this, the 2nd half is in progress, and they are behind by 12 points - not a good spot to be in - but hey I am a fan of the underdog. 

My favorite part of the Super Bowl is the commercials - and there have been some good ones. In past years, gathering with friends and family - for food, fun, and camaraderie - is the best. This year, we’re on our own but not without good food (of course). I treated us to a giant plate of vegan nachos, and the fact that there were no leftovers - well I guess they were good. 

On another food note, we feasted on pear hand pies -  a delicious winter treat! Similar in taste to apple pie and oh so easy to make! Perfect for anyone who wants a quick single-serving treat without the guilt of eating an entire pie!

The best part of pear pie is that unlike apple pie, you don’t have to cook the fruit to soften it before filling the pie you just assemble, bake and then eat. My only regret was that we did not have any whipped cream or ice cream (vegan of course) to accompany it. It was, however, delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 double pie crust store-bought or homemade

1/2 cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

5 cups peeled and diced ripe pears

1 Tablespoon vegan butter

1 egg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*F

In a medium-sized bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Mix well

Add diced pears to sugar mixture and mix gently until well coated. Roll pie crust out.

Using a bowl as a pattern that is approximately 4 - 5 inches in diameter, cut out round circles for your hand pies. Reroll excess dough to create more crusts. Place crusts onto a lined baking sheet. Place pears in the center of one cut pie crust - leaving approximately 1/2 inch space around sides. Dot pear mixture with a small amount of butter and sprinkle with few drops of lemon juice.

In a small bowl beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush egg around the edge of the circle. This will act as a glue and top with another round of pie crust.  Crimp edges with a fork to ensure a good seal. Brush egg mixture on top of each hand pie. Slice slits on top and dust with coarse sugar if desired.

Place on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Vegan Nachos

Ingredients:

Tortilla chips - your choice 

Vegan refried black beans - stirred 

black olives - 1/4 can

frozen corn - 1/4 bag

3 - 4 green onions - finely chopped

1/2 red pepper - finely chopped 

10 -12 cherry tomatoes - quartered

1 jalapeno - thinly sliced 

vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheese - shredded 

1 avocado - finely chopped

Red and green salsa

Instructions:

Place tortilla chips on a large stone. Add beans, peppers, olives, onions, corn, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 375-degree oven for approximately 12 - 15 minutes - until cheese is melted and beans are hot. Remove from oven and add avocado and cilantro. 

Serve with red and/or green salsa. 

Thanks for stopping by - Enjoy!

Broccoli, Eggplant, Bok Choy oh My!

Ahhhhhhhh - we’ve collectively released that breath we’ve been holding and the changing of the guard occurred peacefully. As they slowly roll the vaccine out I’m grateful that we are healthy but still anxious to get back to the life we had before the pandemic arrived. There are people to spend time with, vacations to take, events and milestones to celebrate, and restaurants to patronize - it’s been a long haul.

I’m still cooking but the addition of Master Gardener classes, meetings, and volunteering (online of course) takes up some of that extra time I had for reading and writing and fancy dinners. We’re still shopping for longer periods of time, staying out of stores during prime times, and eating all that bottled up goodness from last years harvest.

We’ve in the planning process for our 2021 vegetable garden; deciding what has to go and what new things we should try. There will definitely be tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, green beans, and the rest of the regular crew. Bell peppers still made the cut but we’re moving them to pots in the front where there is more sun - and hopefully, that will increase the harvest. Dan did some seed saving from the honeynut butternut squash we had last year - he’s going to try to get his own vines growing. I have to say they were the sweetest and best-tasting squash I’ve ever had. 

This week's stir fry was a combination of some of my favorite veggies - broccoli eggplant, mushrooms and bok choy in a garlic sauce. The crunch of the broccoli and bok choy paired with the softened eggplant and mushrooms was the perfect compliment.

Ingredients:

Garlic Sauce 

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons mirin

2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon sesame oil, divided

1 T corn starch

2 tablespoon water

8 medium garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

Stir Fry

One bunch of green onions, chopped whites, and some greens for garnish.

Sesame oil, 2-3 tbsp

1 head Broccoli, cut into bite-size or slightly larger pieces

1 large Eggplant, cut into bite-size or larger pieces

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered 

3 baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into pieces 

Instructions:

Combine rice vinegar, sugar, tamari, mirin, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stirring to combine. (this is the sauce base)

In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water.

Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant (around 30 seconds). Re-stir the sauce, add it to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. (This will take about a minute).

Re-stir the cornstarch- water mixture and add it to the sauce a little at a time (stirring as to combine) until it is a desired thickness-- it will thicken quickly as it heats up. For a thinner sauce, use less of the cornstarch-water mix.Transfer to a bowl or liquid measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.

Stir Fry

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2-3 tbsp oil and heat until shimmering but not burning. Add onions and saute a minute or two until just tender. Add eggplant and saute 3-4 minutes until starting to get tender. Add broccoli and mushrooms, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Then add in bok choy and saute until wilted and tender. Cook longer for softer vegetables.

Add the garlic sauce to the sautéed vegetables and stir to combine. Heat 2-3 minutes until warm. Serve over rice. Garnish with green parts of green onion.

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to 2021

Happy New Year! Just when you think 2020 was the craziest year in history 2021 shows up with crazy politics and weather – but the future is looking brighter right?

Like most of you, our holiday was spent COVID style. We did do a food exchange (thanks, Dan, Elwood, Mary, and Matthew) where everyone made a dish, packaged it up and Santa’s elves drove around to do pick-up delivery. Then we all gathered later via zoom and did a gift exchange – they are a creative bunch!

On January 8th I started my Master Gardener program and I’m so excited - ok not about botany but in general. I’m currently on Module 2 (said botany) and learning lots – 12 more modules to go. I’m still working part-time, so I have plenty of time to study, which helps.

We’re finally getting to the bottom of the holiday treats – just a few cookies remain and maybe a few chocolates too. Last week Dan did a podcast and was sent a box of coconut macaroons (did no one tell them we just ate like 8,000 cookies) they are delicious.

I finally reorganized the pantry - it’s amazing what you find when you do that right? Cooking keeps me sane and I love pasta (especially the kind you make yourself) but not all the carbs. I had a few zucchini, some frozen veggie meatballs (Gardein), and tomato sauce from last year's harvest. 

I started by chopping an onion and some peppers and sautéed them in a little olive oil. I added the tomato sauce, garlic, and some Italian herbs and let the sauce simmer a while. I spiralized the zucchini using the medium blade and sautéed it until it was still a little crunchy. Then press as much water out of the zucchini as you can. I

n a 9 x 9-inch pan, add about 1/2 cup of sauce and spread it around, add the zucchini noodles, top with the frozen meatballs, and then cover with the remaining sauce. top with vegan cheese (I used a combination of mozzarella and Field roast Chao cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. 

Serve with bread and a salad.

Buttery Scones, and Curd

Happy Holidays!

If you are like us you've been spending the days following Christmas - chillin. I love all of the things that lead up to the big day but, I'm grateful when it's done, and relaxing is next up. 

Regardless of where you live, this year the holidays looked different. Many of you opted out of big family events. Some of you ordered food from a local restaurant to support them and others (like Dan's family) got creative with their celebrations. 

Dan's daughter Mary, her husband Matthew, and cousin Elwood organized a traveling potluck. Everyone made a dish packed it in containers for each family and then Dan, Marry, Matthew, and Elwood drove around to family members collecting and delivering the dishes. Then later in the evening, we did a family zoom to connect and do a fun gift exchange. It wasn't ideal but it was fun. 

Each year Mary and Matthew do some kind of cooking project and we are the recipient of some delicious foodstuffs. This year they made lemon, orange, and lime curds. I was anxious to try them out so this morning I made a batch of buttery scones - they were perfect together - I have to admit I did have a second - but it's the holidays nothing has calories right? 

Buttery Scones

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold butter cut into small pieces

2/3 cup milk (I used oat)

1 egg beaten

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter pieces and mix into flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add milk and mix until combined (do not over mix). 

Put dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a round circle, cut into 8 wedges and transfer to the baking sheet. Brush the tops lightly with the beaten egg and bake for 12 - 15 minutes. 

Serve warm with the curd - nom nom nom 

I don't know about you but I'm ready for a new year, 2020 has been quite the ride. Thanks for stopping by!

We Pardoned the Turkey

It’s the holidays - my second favorite time of year; my favorite - Halloween. While we’re under a new set of restrictions (no gathering with anyone other than those in your household), I’ve decided to do a little more decorating to make things a bit more festive.

Thanksgiving was quiet. Dan and I spent the day cooking, sipping a few cosmo cocktails, and relaxing (well after cooking of course). We ended the evening watching The Christmas Chronicles II - with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn - it was sappy, cute, and just what we needed to kick off the Christmas season.

For our main course we had roasted butternut squash (from our garden) that was stuffed with a mixture of onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, walnuts, and wild rice. We roasted the last of our garden fingerling potatoes with brussels sprouts and served it with caramelized onion vegan gravy, vegan cornbread, and cranberry sauce. And for dessert - homemade sweet potato pie with whipped cream. It was delicious if I do say so myself but don’t take my word for it, try this recipe and see what you think. 

Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

For the butternut squash:

1 butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the stuffing:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

6 - 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup wild rice

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

½ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

To make the butternut squash: Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then put both halves on a baking tray, cut side up. Drizzle the olive oil on top of each squash and rub it around to coat. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until the squash is cooked and fork-tender. The timing will vary based on the size of your squash. Be careful to not overcook - squash will have additional baking time after assembled.

Once baked, remove the squash from the oven. Let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Scoop out the flesh in the center of both squash halves, leaving about a 1-inch border all around. Set aside the scooped-out squash flesh and chop it up.

To make the stuffing: In the meantime when the squash is baking, you can prepare the stuffing. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot sauté the carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and garlic until the veggies soften and begin to brown. Add the wild rice and veggie broth to the pan, stir and then cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until wild rice has popped. 

Add the walnuts, dried cranberries, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. When ready, add in the scooped out and chopped squash flesh. Stir well to combine.

To stuff the squash: Pack in as much of the stuffing into both sides of the squash as you can. You will likely have leftovers, but I like to pack it in nice and firmly and make both sides heaping full. Pick up one squash half and flip it on top of the other. Use kitchen string to tie up the squash in 3 or 4 places holding it together. 

Lightly brush the top of the squash with olive oil and bake for 20 to 35 minutes until hot all the way through. Season the top with black pepper and chopped sage. Serve with onion gravy and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!